Bihar Floods - Help Required!!

Milind attended a meeting called by Ms. Medha Patkar in Pune on the 21st of September. Medha tai called upon all citizens to take part in the relief efforts for victims of the floods that have hit Bihar. The State machinery has failed in its efforts to provide relief to the people. More than 25 lakh people have been affected, though the Government is not coming forth with the actual death toll.

There is a dire need for funds, medicines - especially for skin diseases, medical professionals, para-medical staff and volunteers. Any contribution is welcome and may be channelized through Narmada Navnirman Abhiyan. Kindly read the appeal below :

GENEROUS RELIEF NEEDED

This is an Action Alert on Flood Relief in Bihar. Please circulate further

DAMMED KOSHI RIVER CHANGES COURSE: FLASH FLOODS IN BIHAR
MILLIONS MAROONED: IMMEDIATE AND GENEROUS RELIEF NEEDED

Immediate Relief Needs:

Clothes: In Good condition, for adults and children of all ages, – bed
sheets, woollen clothes, umbrellas, rain coats etc.

Medicines: A list of the requirements is given far below

Financial help: Necessary. Please withhold for a very few days, until we are
able to give you the account details of where the money must be send.

Volunteers: We would also need to have many young and active volunteers, who
have the experience of working in situation of calamity (such as Tsunami, earth
quake etc).

We will soon be leaving for Bihar with a team. Those who want to volunteer and
are willing to work hard, in a situation of challenge and adjusting to whatever
conditions, are most welcome.
Please consider the urgency of the situation and do all the needful

Contact:
Pervin Jehangir Medha Patkar Raj Kumar
022- 22184779, 09820636335 07290-222464 09424385139

….
Annexure
List of Medicines needed urgently

1.Ciprofloxacin tablets and infusion
2.Levofloxacin tablets
3.Chloromyecetin capsules and injections
4.Ceftriaxone Injections
5.Chloroquine tablets and injections
6.Metronidazole Chloroquine tablets, suspension and infusion
7.Paracetamal tablets and suspension
8.B Complex tablets and syrup
9.Phensedyl DM cough syrup
10.Ranitidine tablets and injection
11.Antacids tablets and suspension
12.Cetrizine tablets and syrup
13.Ibuprofen tablets
14.Dexamethasone injections
15.Hydrocortisone injections
16.Deriphyllin injections
17.Electrol, Glucose and ORS Powder

• Pre school training was postponed due to inability of staff members to attend.
• NRHM-CM Block coordinators and facilitators' orientaion on Training of PHC Samitee was held on 16th September 2008 at Masum's Pune office. Block coordinators and facilitators from Khed (1), Velha (1) and Purandar (7) taluka attanded the training which was conducted by Dr. Hemlata (District Coordinator-Masum) and Dr. Nitin Jadhav (State Coordinator-Sathi). The main purpose of training was to orient staff regarding PHC samitee members' training, data collection at PHC and RH, and preparation for Jan Sunvai.Topics like Logistics of oraganising a PHC training, Tools for data collection and information required to be gathered for Jansunwai were discussed in details.

• Archana and Anupama attended a training on NGO management on 21st September 2008.

The past few weeks have been very busy. Therefore they delay in uploading the events taking place in MASUM.

• The three activists co-ordinating the Children's programmes - Shrikant, Raju and Madhuri have been holding meetings with the Bal Panchayat members of Malshiras and Tekavdi, Waghapur and Vanpuri and Naigaon, Pargaon, Piserve and Mavdi respectively to review tha work being done and to address problems being faced by these "child activists" in their villages. It has also been decided that all the Bal Panchayat committee members will be visiting the local Gram Oanchayata to learn and observe how these function.
• Organisational dev meet
  
• Archana visited Swati Organisation in Ahmedabad. This organisation is a part of the Aman network, a network of feminist organisations that has been working on the implementation of the PWDV Act. Archana was in Ahmedabad to conduct a two day workshop (4th and 5th Sep) on review of impementation of PWDV Act, followed by a strategy planning meeting on the 6th of September.
  
• A series of four capacity building trainings has been planned for the para-legal workers - Saathis on Chakrabhed - a Domestic Violence intervention model. As a part of the series, a training was held on the 11th and 12th of September which was conducted by Manisha tai and Archana.
• Several organisations working on gender issues have been meeting to increase men's involvement in gender equality. A meeting of organisations working for the same in Maharashtra was held in MASUM on 12th Sept and it was decided that for the Violence Against Women fortnight, celebrated from the 25th November to the 10th December - the theme would be men's involvement in implementation of PWDV Act.
  
• A preparatory meeting of the second Maharashtra Mahila Arogya Hak Parishad was held in MASUM on the 13th of September.
  
• Audit of Streedhan accounts is also in progress.
• A 5 day training of Pre-shhool teachers begins today (16th Sept) in Hadapsar.
  

Last week we had a meeting with the activists working on the Political Participation of Women program. With the number of notified SEZs increasing by the day, the threat of one coming close to us is not too far away. Dr Awasthi discussed with the activists the current situation prevalent in the country. they were also shown a documentary film on the issue.

Today (2nd Sep), certificates were awarded to the girls from Waghapur who successfully completed the Stitching and Tailoring Program.